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He was just a spectator during the final period against the Islanders, with just one 47-second shift to go along with a pair of short shifts in overtime. He had a season-low 15:50 of ice time in the game.

It wasn't the first time Richards was benched in his career, but he said it was tough to just sit on the bench and watch the game.

"You want to get out there, and no matter how I feel or where I am, I feel like I can make a difference," Richards said. "It's not a good feeling, but it's a good thing to kind of take a deep breath and kind of regroup."

Although he was credited with a point, both Richards and the Rangers' head coach John Tortorella felt Richards was pressing to hard to make plays, which was resulting in uncharacteristic turnovers.

“That’s always the problem with Brad, if he’s struggling. It’s not a guy I’ve never been on as far as effort, but sometimes he binds himself up by trying to do too much and caring too much," Tortorella said. "That’s a pretty good assessment, and he’ll get through it and be a good player for us."

After starting the season with two goals in the team's first five games, he's been held scoreless in the past eight contests. He has a total of 10 points this season (two goals, eight assists).

Richards is one of the assistant captains for this team, so he must keep his head up and compete. He needs to be making sound plays to help this team win, and his leadership is vital for the team and they are a weaker team without him in the lineup.